The Springfield City School District is proud to announce that Springfield High School American Sign Language (ASL) teacher, Arlon Nash has been selected as the 2026-2027 Ohio World Language Association’s (OWLA) Teacher of the Year.
Mr. Nash is a Deaf educator, whose primary language is ASL. He is both the first ASL teacher and Deaf individual to receive this award from OWLA. He has taught ASL at both the high school and college levels for more than 20 years, helping learners build language skills and connect with Deaf culture and community in ways beyond the classroom.
Mr. Nash has received numerous awards and accolades during his career, including Clark County Teacher of the Year and a three-time recipient of the Teacher of the Year award from the National American Sign Language Teachers Association. In 2025, he was honored by the State of Ohio for championing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of inclusivity.
Mr. Nash will be recognized for this latest accomplishment at a ceremony held by OWLA later this month and is now in the running with 9 other recipients for 2027 Central States Teacher of the Year.